World clock



Ja n. 19, 1937. cK 2,068,418

WORLD CLOCK I Filed 001;. 9, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fig. 1. 41

mvENfoR Jan. 19,1937.

2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Oct 9, 1953 Patented Jan. '19, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application October 9,

2 Claims.

' combined with a terrestrial globe and driven thereby in such manner as to simulate the actual movement of the earth during each twenty-four hours. Such an apparatus is found to be of great educational value and suitable for use in both high and grade schools, as well as in colleges, for the pursuit of astronomical and geographical studies. It is also of great utility in the oflice and in the home, both alone and in combination with radio apparatus where it can be used in various ways, as will appear from the following. It may also be of great utility for advertising purposes.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of the character described which is simple in construction and economical to manufacture and in which the globe and operating mechanism can be built in conjunction with the time mechanism or which can be built as an attachment for application to existing clocks of any ordinary type.

Another object of my said invention is to provide an apparatus of the character described in which the globe-actuating mechanism may be disconnected from the time mechanism for the purpose of adjusting the one in relation to the other so as to render the apparatus as a whole suitable for use in different localities, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

A further object of the invention is to provide means within the globe whereby one-half of the same may be illuminated while the other half remains in comparative darkness in the same manner as the earth itself.

With these and other objects in View the invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof, in which drawings- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a world clock of the shelf type constructed in accordance with my said invention.

Figure 2 is a partial plan View of the same.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical section drawn to an enlarged scale illustrating the operating mechanism.

Figure l is a fragmentary plan view taken in section on line 4 t of Figure 3, showing the clock and the associated driving mechanism.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary View illustrating the means for manually connecting and disconnect- 1933, Serial No. 692,839

ing the driving mechanism from the globe, to be hereinafter described.

Like characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

l is the body, of wood or other suitable material, and 2 is the dial forming part of the regular clock mechanism which is built into the casing 4 is the globe made of transparent or translucent material and having upon its outer surface all of the usual divisions and indicia. The globe in the example shown has its axis of rotation 4| set at the normal angle oi approximately 23 degrees from the vertical, but in some cases, in order to reduce the cost of construction, 1 may set the axis vertically. ii is a stationary hollow shaft secured by nuts 6 to a bracket "i which is sus pended from the top member 8 of the body. Upon the shaft 5 is rotatably mounted a tubular shaft 9 which terminates at its upper end in a flange til shaped on its underside to conform with and to bear frictionally upon the inner surface of the globe l. To the lower end of the shaft 9 is secured a gear ll arranged in co-operative relation with the bevelled pinion l2, the latter being secured to the vertical shaft it, as shown more clearly in Figure 3. The shaft 13 is mounted in the hearings in the bracket '1 and in. the bracket i i, and is driven through bevelled gears l5, l6, spur gear ll, pinion it, and spur gear 19 from the pinion 26 which is mounted upon the shaft 2i of the hour hand, the gear train being so proportioned that the shaft 9 and consequently the globe 4% will be rotated once in every twenty-four hours.

In order to maintain the inner surface of the globe t in frictional contact with the driving flange N! there is provided the sleeve 22 rotatably mounted upon the shaft 9 and slidable axially in relation thereto, the said sleeve having at its upper end the flange 23 the upper surface of which conforms to the external surface of the globe, and this flange is maintained in frictional engagement with the globe by means of the helical spring 2% which reacts upon the upper surface of the gear it and presses upwards against the flange upon the said sleeve.

In order to disengage the globe from the driv ing mechanism for the purpose of adjusting the same in relation thereto, I provide exteriorly of the spring 24 a hollow member 26 provided with an internal flange adapted to bear upon the flange 25 of the sleeve 22, as shown clearly in Figure 3, and upon the outside of the member 26 there are a pair of pressure members 21 con nected by pins 28 with a bell crank lever 29 pivoted at to the stationary bracket 3i, shown clearly in side elevation in Figure 5. The lower end of this lever is connected by a pin 32 to the yoke II and to the center of this yoke is connected a rod 34 which projects through the wall of the body i and is provided outside thereof with a knob I6. The parts as shown in the drawings occupy the positions in which the globe is operatively connected with the driving mechanism, and when it is desired to' disconnect the same, the knob 35 is pulled outwards against the action of the spring 24 until the shoulder 38 upon the rod 34 coincides with the outer surface of the fixed plate 31 upon the body, and the knob being then pressed downwards the said shoulder engages with the plate and retains the knob in the outward position, indicated in broken lines at II, at which time the pressure of the flange I! is removed from the globe, leaving the same free to be rotated by hand.

Within the globe 4 is a concavo-convex reflector 38 having its axis at right angles to the axis of rotation 4i of the globe and having its edge 39 terminating proximate to the interior surface of the globe and coincident with the median line of the same, the arrangement being such that light from an electric bulb 4|! will illuminate substantially one-half of the globe while the other half remains unilluminated, there being, however, a small space between the edge I! and the globe whereby. the terminal edge of the illuminated portion is somewhat softened in the same manner as obtains upon the earth itself. The reflector 38 is supported by a bracket 42 formed integral with a collar 43 secured to the extreme upper end of the stationary shaft 5. The bulb 4| is mounted in any suitable socket 44 attached to the reflector and is connected by wires II, which pass through the shaft 5, to any suitable source of electric current.

Upon the outside of the globe and somewhat spaced apart therefrom is a ring 46 which is sup ported on pillars 41 from the body I. The ring has its upper surface coincident with the center of the globe and has its outer periphery 48 provided with indicia corresponding to the twenty-four hour period of the earth's rotation, and upon its upper surface 49 are provided similar indicia as well as the notations A. M., P. M. and the points of the compass N. S. E. W. By the latter arrangement, as will be understood, the globe may be set so as to bring any desired point upon the globe in coincidence with the time n day as shown by the indicia upon the ring 4| for purposes which will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

While I have herein described and shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be readily understood that the same may be modifled in various ways to meet any particular or peculiar requirement, without departing from the spirit of my invention. For example, in the case of globes of large size, ball or other anti-friction bearings may be interposed at various points, such as for example between the spring 24 and the gear Ii, so thatthe friction of the mechanism is prevented from retarding the clock mechanism to any serious extent.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An apparatus of the character described comprising a time mechanism including an hour hand, a terrestrial globe mounted for rotation upon its polar axis, driving means actuated by said mechanism for rotating said globe at one half the speed of said hour hand, and means for disconnecting said driving means, said means including a shaft having a flange adapted to en gage the inner surface of said globe, a sleeve upon said shaft having a co-acting flange engaging the outer surface of the same, resilient spring means for maintaining said flanges and said globe in frictional engagement, and means for moving said sleeve endwise upon said shaft to disengage the respective parts.

2. An apparatus of the character described comprising a time mechanism including an hour hand, a terrestrial globe mounted for rotation upon its polar axis, driving means actuated by said mechanism for rotating said globe at one half the speed of said hour hand, and means for disconnecting said driving means, said means including a shaft having a flange adapted to engage the inner surface oi. said globe, a sleeve upon said shaft having a co-acting flange engaging the outer surface of the same, resilient spring means for maintaining said flanges and said globe in frictional engagement, and means for moving said sleeve endwise upon said shaft to disengage the respective parts and for maintaining it in the disengaged position.

FREDERICK KYACK. 

